The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-03
Pulaski and the Liouor Traffic.

with your own city. You have q
population of 1000 whites, though
| see no reason for the word white
for l am informed that in the mat
ter of saloon keeping there isl nc
distinction Of color, and that Afri-
cas- sable son has all the privileges
of a Pulaski born white nan. But
to this population you have twenty
drinking places, licensed as such.
Whether our drug stores are used
for other than the purposes pro
fessed we must reiegate to the final
day when the secrets Of the houses
as we'll as the hearts of all men will
be disclosed. This multitude OF
carbuncles scattered all over The
body municipal threaten the very
life-blood of our community. These
are the places where men bury, for
ever the hopes of those who love
and lean on them Just think OF
IL. Fer every hundred of our white
population you have place where
Intoxicating liquors can be pur-
chased. They grid your square
with circle of eternal fire They
are so intermingied with your
business houses that you are COM
PEELED to expose yourselves to the
jostling of the low and degraded,
both white and black, that congre
gate around them. That a chris
tian man can conscientlously engage
in sthis death dealing is absurd.
That man who claims TO have a
home in heaven can engage in a
business that sends daily it's hun
dreds to hell, is an insult to the ge-
MUS of christianity. That a chris
tian can clothe and feed his family
from the proceeds of a business
that takes the meat and bread and
clothes from the shivering, hungry
wives and children OF poor unfor-
tunate drunken men, smells to
heaven"
1t Is not my purpose to discuss
the consequences of that sermon.
The book is sealed. II will be
opened by an unseen hand. l note
the progress of the sentiment con
tanned in the paragraph. At that
time there were perhaps more than
twenty places outside of Pulaski
where whisky was sold. Now, a,
this writing there are only three
white and one colored saloon in
Pulaski, and two at Lynnville, max
ing in the county six, against more
than forty nine years ago. Then
there were more church mem bers
engaged i'll the traffic than there are
men OF the world engaged in II
now. Then 1t cost a minister his
place and friends to enforce the
prohibitory laws of his church, now
be has nothing to tempt him TO The
test. Why this mighty change
SO far as the county is concerned
the four mile law. Grant it. Blu
where are the sixteen Pulaski sa
looms? The four mile law has neve
been enforced in Pulaski and We
nearly as great per cent of saloob'
have been closed inside of Pulaski
as outside. Naturally we woult
suppose that the enforcement of th
four mile law in the country place!
in the county would open more il
the town. Not so. Why this rev
olution? / answer: Humanity cal
bear this great sorrow no longer
: Her groans have been heard il
, heaven. With the blood of be
suicidal husbands, fathers, broth
ers and sons upon her skirts ant
with wall exceeding that of Ra-
chael weeping for her children, sh'
has fallen at the feet of the Man o
Sorrows with her woe. His ca
has canghs the wall OF anguishe
1 hearts. He is a prohibitions
You tell me that prohibition doe
not prohibit? What say the fact
a already produced? l dare say fha
the law prohibiting the carrying G
4 concealed weapons or circulation {
d obscene literature has no. been MOI
u effective than the four mile Law
!. Look at the young men of to-day
e What change! We are not bury
S ing our young men with brail
/ blown out now. We are not burr
!, ing our fellow citizens from pneu
: monia (?) as We once did OF
n young men are nearly ali churc
members and living christian live
just few, l fear, are "Tarryin
long at the wine The end
such tarrying none can doub
Poor fellows! They have GOO
. friends, good clothes, plenty
Il money. Soon all will he owe
- Bright and beautiful wives w
l search in vain for crepe to shade
forth the sorrow that blackens an
u blasts the heart of a drunkard
widow. The smart little babe wi
golden ringlets tied with blue rit
q :, bon and baby mine" shawl p
~ set in purest white will come
y rags. The beautiful homa will pa
,e into other hands. Piano sol
- Beautiful .pictures will hang on OF
er walls and teach their lessons
- purity and heaven to other heart
Forms now erect viii bend o.
shiver at the door of plenty 81
l, beg for bread. God forbid!
- But 70 my point. Tie four mi
&c law is but a broken dose Of apr
j. hibilion. II it could shut tairt
10 four saloons in Giles county, cam
prohibition shut six? | do not /
&c lieve there is man engaged in t
!" business now in the county "
y would try to make his bread by
1e unlawful sale. True, some of the
) may, having license to sell, viola
some statute prohlbitory, but l
not belive that one of them wou
depend on outlawry for livelihoC
~ 1t is significant fact in tt
- town and in my travels, those wi
a.. a. have been the victims of strol
vi drink, with some exceptions, are t
strongest advocates of prohibit
and long TO live to cast their vot
to put away traffic that has bias
ed all tina. was fondest and dear'
to them in early life. For them
Iet could well nigh weep tears of bloc
to Poor fello rs, they are more Sim
On, against than SHINING. The st,
IA, for which they would willingly ha